


What Have We Become

by greeny1710



Series: Alternate Works of Chaotic Trio [3]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Angst, Chaotic Trio AU, Emotional Hurt, M/M, Post-Divorce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:40:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24554800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeny1710/pseuds/greeny1710
Summary: Seb and Kimi split up.It's fine.Everything's fine.Only, it really isn't.
Relationships: Kimi Räikkönen/Sebastian Vettel
Series: Alternate Works of Chaotic Trio [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1772158
Comments: 78
Kudos: 135





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the ever so delightful **pinkquill22** left a comment on my previous Simi divorce fic in which they said _Could that have perhaps been their very last kiss? Or will they somehow find each other again?_ and well, im here to fill in the aftermath👀
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

He’d always known this was going to hurt. But sitting on the floor in his New York City apartment with his kids exactly 3459 miles away (yes, he’d checked), seeing the pure joy on the twins faces as they told him about Max getting accepted into his first choice university and not being able to hug them really fucking sucked. 

New York was looming behind him in the background, his back pressed to the windows and Max couldn’t stop trying to peer over Sebastian’s shoulder to see the landscape yet again. 

He’d done this exactly thing as a little boy.

However, it hurt infinitely more now considering when Max was a little boy Seb had only left for two and a half months before coming home, and the kids and Kimi had come out to see him then. 

They wouldn’t this time. 

And what hurt was knowing that Seb had no idea when he’d be able to hug his babies again. 

When he’d be able to cradle his twins close and kiss their hair and hear their bickering over the mundane. To see that look Max got on his face when Dan turned up unannounced with a flower or take away pizza ‘just because’. To see the face Charles made when he got lost in his art, completely zoned away from the world and scribbling on the paper like there was no tomorrow. To see Valtteri getting increasingly frustrated with the antics of his little brothers but protecting them until the end of time. 

He just wanted his babies close again.

And he wanted Kimi.

“Charles?” Kimi’s gruff voice echoed through the tinny speaker and Seb’s heart skipped a beat.

He’d never get over that perfect voice.

“Yeah?!” Charles shouted back, refusing to stand up from his spot.

“Need your advice!”

Charles rolled his eyes and shoved the laptop closer to Max, rolling off the bed and sauntering off to go and find Kimi to ‘offer his advice’.

“And how’s Dan, baby? Is he doing okay at uni?”

Max’s eyes lit up as he frantically nodded. 

“Yeah really good. He’s coming over for Christmas Eve, help us decorate the tree and that, stay for dinner. Dad said he could stay over if he wanted, but obviously he’s home for Christmas so he’s not going to stay over. And then we’re going to Dan’s, me, Charles, Valtteri and Dad, for Boxing Day to go and hang out with Dan, his Mum and Dad, er Michelle and her fella are over as well. But he’s doing good at uni. He just had his assessment back for something about exercise physiology, and he got a First, so he’s really pleased. I told him about Kings accepting me and I think he cried harder than any of us.” Max had a bright grin on his face the entire time he spoke about Dan, and not even the twinge of sadness Seb felt at knowing his babies were still going to be having Christmas like normal could overrule how happy he was that Max had Dan in his life. Somewhat that kept him grounded when he felt like he was drowning in being alone. 

“I’m so proud of you, Maxy, Kings are very lucky to have you join them.”

“I know,” Max shrugged, “It’s just trying to make decisions about where I’m going to live now that’s the hard part.”

“What do you mean?” Seb frowned. All of the kids had expressed an interest in moving out for uni, and even though the twins were going to attend universities in Central London that was only a 40 minute commute, they still wanted the independence of living in halls.

“Well, I just...”

“Maxy, talk to me, baby, what’s stressing you out?”

“It doesn’t matter, Dad.”

“Maxy, it clearly does. What’s stopping you from moving, ay? You’ll have a great time and you’ll make loads of friends and-”

“I don’t want to leave Dad on his own...” Max cut him off, and Seb could briefly see a flash of matted fur that indicated Max was fiddling with his old stuffed dog toy.

“Baby-”

“I don’t want him to be lonely, Dad. I know he’ll be fine, but we all wanted to move out because we thought you and him were forever, you know? And now, I dunno, Dad, I just don’t want to leave him on his own in this big old house with no one to talk to, you know? I know he’s not a big talker but neither am I, and even I know how nice it is just knowing someone is around to talk to. And I know he’s going on that date tonight so maybe it’ll be different in a few months once me and Charles are getting ready to move out but we have to put our applications in for student halls by the end of January to get the halls we want and that’s too soon and I’m just worried that Dad is going to be lonely and I don’t mind commuting so maybe I should just stay at home. I’d probably do better here anyway, less anxious and all of that,” Max rambled, his hands going wild as he tried to explain what was in his head.

Except, Seb had got stuck on the start of Max’s ramble and hadn’t fully processed anything after that. 

“Your Dad’s going on a date?” Seb knew that’s not what he should’ve focused on. He should’ve focused on the fact that his baby was nervous and anxious about his future and needed reassurance that he was doing the right thing by wanting to move out. But all he could focus on was the fact that Kimi was going on _a date_.

It’s not like Kimi couldn’t go on a date.

They were getting divorced after all and it had been six months since Seb had moved to the States, seven months since they’d told the boys they were splitting up. 

And yet, the divorce papers were still sat on Seb’s desk at work in the hopes that this wasn’t real. 

“I wasn’t supposed to tell you that,” Max whispered, his hands flying to cover his mouth. 

“It’s okay, baby, you can talk to me about these things. Have you met the person?”

Max shook his head and looked down at his lap, nervously fiddling with his stuffed dog.

“He seems kinda excited about it though,” Max murmured, his voice barely audible.

“I bet he’s getting Charles to help him work out what to wear, isn’t he?” Seb loosely joked, trying to appear more jovial than he could possibly feel.

“Charles er, he had to make a, er, a dress shirt for school, um, a made to measure one. And he did it for Dad, so it’s kinda Charles’ job to dress him because he made the shirt so...”

“Charles never told me he did that,” Seb told Max. Max shrugged but didn’t say much else on it.

“Anyway,” Seb tried to put some cheer into his voice, to shift the subject away from his ~~husband~~ ex-husband’s new date, “I think you have to do what’s right for you, Max. Of course your Dad is going to miss you if you move out, just like he misses Valtteri now. But he’ll be okay. He’s got his job and you can always come home. You know that.”

“But it’s, its,” Max’s voice cracked and he couldn’t look up at the screen, “It’s eating dinner, Dad. That’s what’s breaking me. The thought of him being alone and eating by himself every day. I don’t want him to be alone, Dad. Like,” Max was crying by this point, big tears rolling down his cheeks, “He’s going to be _so alone_. Getting up and eating breakfast by himself. And then coming home from work and eating dinner by himself. No one to talk to and ask ‘hey how was your day?’. No one to turn to and make a stupid joke when you’re watching TV. No one to hug when you’re tired. He’s going to be alone, Dad, and I don’t want him to be.”

“Maxy-”

“Max, come here kid,” Kimi’s voice cut through the speaker and Max automatically climbed off the bed, no doubt falling into Kimi’s arms and clutching onto him, sobbing hard.

“I don’t want to go, Dad,” Max’s barely audible voice was heard sobbing to Kimi.

“Dad?” Charles climbed in front of the camera, looking worriedly between Seb and Max.

“It’s alright, Charles, it’s going to be okay, baby. Max got stressed out and upset about moving into halls for uni,” Seb explained.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Charles,” Seb had never heard a lie fall so easily from his lips, “Give your brother an extra tight hug for me tonight, yeah?”

“Yeah I will. Is it alright if we go? I need to go and help with Max,” Charles fidgeted, looking sad and embarrassed about having to cut his chat with Seb short.

“Yes, of course darling. If you need me at all whilst your Dad is out you know where I am.”

“Doubt there’s much good you can do in New York but thanks,” Charles nodded, not realising how deep the words cut, “Alright dad, bye love you.”

“Bye Charlie, love you more. And tell your brothers I love them too.”

Charles nodded and waved one last time before ending the call. 

As Seb was met with his home screen photo, he let the tears fall. 

It was a photo of the boys and Kimi from about ten years prior. Charles and Max were hanging off Kimi’s neck and Valtteri was stood smartly in front of them, Kimi smiling in that way that he did when he was dealing with their eight year old twins escapades. 

What Seb would give to go back to those days. The days of managing the twins arguing over who got the Ben 10 mug and who got the Avengers mug for their warm milk at night. When the twins would fight and argue that the other was wearing their school jumper when they were the exact same and it didn’t matter whose jumper was whose. When Charles would cry because Max got to go somewhere without him whilst he went to his ballet classes. 

Those days of crocodile tears and baby sobs and arguments were a breeze compared to his babies breaking downs because they were scared of Kimi being alone. 

All alone.

And all Seb’s fault. 

And Seb was the same. He was alone. But he had his job of long hours and working late into the night even when he was at home, trying to save the children that he’d made it his job to protect. He didn’t feel the aloneness in the same way. 

Sure Kimi had the kids, and Dan was over at the house more often that Seb could count it seemed, but he was always quiet. It was why people went to him for their tattoos. He had the whole demeanor of ‘get the job done as quick and quietly as possible at such a high standard’. And people loved it.

Kimi was quiet, he found it hard to make the first move into a conversation. 

And yet here he was moving on. 

He was going on dates. 

He was trying to build a life without Seb like they’d always said he should. 

Whilst all Seb had was a set of twins that he was trying to save in the exact same way he had his own babies thirteen years prior. 

Two little boys again. 

Only this time, there was no Kimi to come home to every night to hold him and distract him from the terrible things that he had to read about these kids having been through. 

Because Seb had made his decision. 

He’d gone. 

He didn’t deserve the happy ending anymore. 

Kimi did. 

Kimi deserved everything. 

And that’s why Sebastian had to put on a brave face and say everything was okay, when in reality, it felt like his world had crumbled to a point that he didn’t even know who he was anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did I make myself cry with max's fears of Kimi being lonely? you're damn right I did
> 
> kudos, comments and feedback always greatly appreciated💙
> 
> Tumblr is at 3303andmore if you want to come and shout at me for bringing this nightmare back to life


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love how much i broke everyone's hearts with that last chapter lmao
> 
> so here's chapter 2
> 
> hope you enjoy lmao

“Max said you went on a date the other night,” Seb put on a brave face as he spoke to Kimi.

“He wasn’t meant to tell you,” Kimi shrugged, “It was nothing.”

“Was it good? Did you have a nice time?”

“It was fine,” Kimi looked across at something off screen, most likely checking on the twins to see if they were trying to kill each other. Seb wasn’t sure. He’d heard screaming at some point which was most likely to be those two trying to kill each other. 

“Who was it?”

“No one you know, Seb. Just a guy from work. We went for drinks, had some food, it was good. He was nice.”

“I’m happy for you, Kimi.” 

“Are you? Are you really? Because right now, Seb, this is incredibly awkward and not exactly what we’re meant to be talking about?”

“I know, but I know how stressed Max was about everything and the idea of you going on a date made it better for him-”

“I didn’t fuck the guy,” Kimi told him.

“I wouldn’t care if you did?”

“Just because I went on a date doesn’t mean he’s moving in so that Max can go to uni without crying. It was just a date, Seb. It doesn’t mean anything. Can we shut up about it now?”

“Okay. I’m still happy for you. I hope it works out. You’re a great… a great date,” Seb told him, smiling at his soon to be ex-husband. He’d finally filled in the paperwork. 

God it sucked. 

But he’d done it. 

The papers were even in the process of being sent back to Kimi’s lawyer so they could be checked before the proceedings could go through. 

He only did it because it was what Kimi wanted. 

Things were so different these days. 

They still kept in touch, having a call every few weeks so that Kimi could catch Seb up on the things that the boys didn’t tell him. More specifically just how many detentions Charles had gotten for kicking off in class about something or other, and how many times that Max had been caught texting in class. 

It was just everything else that was so different and Seb had no idea how to even begin to deal with that. He tried to be happy, tried to be okay with Kimi moving on. It hurt, and he didn’t know how to deal with it, but Kimi seemed happy. And that’s what Seb cared about. 

“Have you spoken to Max about him moving out any more than last time by the way?” Seb asked.

“I have. He’s pretty adamant he doesn’t want to. Every time he thinks about it or we talk about it, he just has panic attacks. It’s bad, Seb. I think I’m going to send him back to therapy. I don’t know what else I can do. If he wants to stay at home, fine, but he shouldn’t _have_ to stay at home and he’s got all this guilt and he just needs to talk to someone that isn’t the person he’s worried about.”

“What’s Dan’s opinion?”

“He’s got Max staying at his halls after school next Friday for the weekend, think he’s going to try and show him it’s alright to move out. He’s the same as me, wants Max to do what’s right for him.”

“Do you think therapy is the right option to help him see that though?”

“Well there’s not really much else to try is there? Seb, he’s having panic attacks every other day. He’s getting to a point in which he’s refusing his meds, what else am I meant to do?”

“There’s no need to snap at me! I’m trying to look out for him!”

“If you were looking out for the kids you wouldn’t have took the job. You know that.”

“And if you gave a shit, you’d have supported me and moved to the US as well.”

“Sorry for caring more about our kids than I do your fucking job!” Kimi argued, “Charles got into the best fashion school in Europe. Max the best psychology degree in England. Valtteri’s building prototypes that are being picked up by fucking Formula One racing teams, like he’s dreamt of since he was a fucking toddler, Sebastian. The kids lives are here! No one forced you to take this job. You took it because _you_ wanted it. You don’t get to be mad that I’m not bending to your every wish when this is what we talked about. Maybe if you’d have been around more when the kids were younger you’d understand that you can’t just expect everything to go the way you want all the time. You always tell Charles to stop being selfish. Maybe it’s time you take on that belief too.”

“That’s uncalled for,” Seb muttered. 

“No, Seb, it’s not.”

“You know how much this job means to me.”

“Yeah I do. I just never anticipated that you would actually put it before your own children.”

“Kimi-”

“I’ve got to go, Seb. It’s dinner. The boys are plating up, I’ll tell the kids to give you a call in a few days.”

“Why can’t I talk to them tonight?”

“Because they’re busy, Seb. They’ve got lives. Charles has that fashion show at 7:30 and we won’t be getting back until late. Max has Dan coming over and Charlotte and Alex and Pierre are going to stay as well. The kids are busy, they’ll probably be tired tomorrow so they’ll call you on Sunday. Just leave it, Seb.”

“What fashion thing?” Seb asked, his voice quiet. 

“Charles didn’t tell you?”

“Clearly not or I wouldn’t be asking about it, would I?”

“His works being displayed at school for the winter showcase. I thought he’d told you.”

Seb sadly shook his head.

“Can I talk to Charles quickly?”

“Yeah, sure,” Kimi murmured, shouting for Charles.

“Hey, Dad, you good?” Charles said, flopping onto the sofa and taking Kimi’s phone off him.

“I’m good, Charles. How are you?”

“I’m fine, early dinner today because got stuff to do later but-”

“Yeah, your winter showcase, your Dad just said. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Didn’t think you’d care,” Charles shrugged noncommittally, “It’s not like you went to the Easter or Summer ones either. You were ‘too busy’ finding somewhere new to live to bother with the Easter one and you left before you could come to my Summer showcase, so I just didn’t think you’d care.”

“Charles-”

“Look, Dad, dinner’s getting cold, okay? We’ll talk about this next time, I need to go eat.”

Charles handed the phone back to Kimi and stalked off, throwing a minor strop about it all. 

Not that Seb could blame him. He’d always tried his best to attend the boys events throughout school, but being one of the top lawyers in London meant being in court all day, meeting with judges, the defence, the prosecution, being in police interviews representing clients and talking to the government about prevention strategies. There wasn’t as much time to be _a dad_ as he’d wanted and Kimi had done an amazing job with the kids, and Seb was there for as much as he could possibly muster. 

He knew it had never been enough. But he thought the kids got that. They’d never kicked off about it before and they’d always been happy when Seb was able to attend anything he could. Except now, when it was actually influencing the change in their lives, he wasn’t there for it. He wasn’t there to see the future that the boys were creating because he was selfish and left. 

“I’ll speak to you in a few days, Seb,” Kimi said. 

“Yeah that sounds good. I want to talk to you about Christmas and that,” Seb nodded. 

“Alright, speak soon.”

“Bye Kimi,” Seb murmured, “I love you.”

Kimi never heard that bit. 

The phone had already been put down. 

“Mr Vettel,” his legal secretary quietly murmured as they came into his office, causing Sebastian to turn in his chair away from the windows that overlooked the East River of New York City.

“Yes, Marcus, what can I do for you?”

“Mr Latifi from the Canada National Committee is here to speak with you,” he told Seb and Seb waved his hand for Marcus to send him in. 

Time to shut off his home brain and switch on Lawyer Brain. 

“Thanks, Marcus, send him in.”

~

Later that night, Seb was still in his office with New York alive below him even though it was pushing the late hours, his phone went off with a single message. 

One from Charles.

Why was he still awake? It was pushing 3am in England and Charles was normally conked out by 1am at the _very_ latest even when he had Charlotte, Pierre and Alex over.

Charles   
  
**Today** 21:53   
If you hadn’t left Dad, we would still be happy.   
  


He’d heard those sorts of comments from Valtteri a lot, and even inadvertently from Kimi.

Never from Charles. 

And for some reason, that was what hurt all the more. 

Why Charles was awake at 3am, Seb had no idea. 

And why he was using that time to send vaguely angry texts to Seb, he _really_ had no idea. 

That was something to talk to his son about on Sunday, when he got chance to speak to them again. 

That was if they even wanted to talk to him then. The kids were eternally _‘busy’_ these days, and if Dan was over, chances were Max wouldn’t even be around to talk to him. 

But that was okay. 

His kids were moving on. 

They were growing up.

And Seb couldn’t be angry or upset about that. 

London was five hours in front of him and the twins had things to be doing. He couldn’t be upset that the twins weren’t always around to talk when he missed them. 

It was probably a good thing that they weren’t living their lives around when Seb would call them to talk. It meant that they were happy. Content, even. 

But if that was the case, why had Charles sent him that text message?

Charles   
  
**Today** 21:53   
If you hadn’t left Dad, we would still be happy.   
  
What’s wrong, Charles?  
  
I miss you. And I hate you for leaving   
  
Fuck you Dad   
  
You didn’t even care to stay and see my work displayed   
  
I’m so sorry baby, I should’ve stayed. I wish I had stayed.   
  
That’s your fault   
  
Dad misses you so fucking much and he won’t tell you because all you ever do is argue with each other and im tired of it   
  
I want my parents back and I want my world to be normal   
  
Why did you have to screw it up   
  
Why did you put your job before us   
  
Why are we not enough   
  


And Seb had no idea how to answer him.

Because his kids were good enough, as was his husband. 

It was everything else. 

London was stifling.

And he thought New York would be the welcome breeze of fresh air that he needed to find his love for law again and save lives and bring about justice in a way that should’ve given him the satisfaction and confirmation that he’d done something right. 

And he’d found his _enjoyment_ for Law again. He couldn’t deny that in the six months he’d been in New York and been a part of a total of 147 different prosecutions in connection to the exploitation of children wasn’t satisfying. 

But it was all made that bit better when he’d leave court after a long day and get to call the twins and see their smiley faces and speak to Kimi and tell him that things were okay. 

Because it was his family that made things better. 

And _fucking hell_ he missed them. 

“Vettel, why are you still here?”

Seb looked up from his phone that was still lit up with the unanswered texts from Charles and looked at the managing director of his department.

The very man who had headhunted Seb and convinced him to move continent. 

“I need to talk to you, Toto.”

Whether this was the right decision or not, Seb really had no idea. 

But he needed his options open. 

And he really needed to know what could come of what was in his mind right now. 

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that, Sebastian,” Toto smiled, welcoming himself into Seb’s office and taking a seat opposite him. “Go on then, ask me.”

Seb took a deep breath and looked at Toto. 

It was now or never.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)
> 
> kudos, comments and feedback always greatly appreciated💙
> 
> tumblr is at 3303andmore if you wanna shout at me for bringing back the beautiful cliffhangers


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the final part👀
> 
> lmao enjoy👀👀

**6 Months Later**

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay, you know that,” Max nudged Charles, linking their pinkie fingers together as Charles looked anxiously over the models that were rushing around to finish getting ready around them. 

“What if it doesn’t look good once it’s on the runway?”

“It will. LCF wouldn’t have let you put in an early admission if they thought you’d do shit. They’ve been bugging you for this dress since your interview last year, they want to showcase you, Charles. It’s going to be okay.”

“I wish Dad was here to see it,” Charles whispered as Charlotte spun in a languid circle in front of him, looking every inch the gorgeous young model she’d become. 

Her hair was pulled into a messy princess bun as the sheer pale pink fabric of the skirt swirled around her, the diamante sewn into the bodice and waterfall skirt catching the light and lighting her up as the ethereal princess that Charlotte looked to be. Honestly, if she turned around and told Charles that she was actually the Princess of Monaco, he wouldn't be surprised. 

“Charlie, can you come and fix the straps?” Charlotte called out, shifting the bodice up over her chest to sit more comfortably as Charles tightened the ribbons over her shoulders. 

“How’s that?”

“Perfect,” she replied, kissing his cheek before her eyes lit up.

“You look gorgeous, baby,” Charlotte’s girlfriend told her, stepping up to her and slowly spinning her, admiring the dress that Charles had put together and the way it swirled between then before turning to Charles, “You did a stunning job with that.”

“Thanks,” Charles grinned, smiling at the way that Charlotte’s girlfriend ran her fingers over the contours of the dress pulling in around her waist and the soft ribbons tied over her shoulders. 

“Charles, are you ready to walk?” Darren, one of the lecturers at LCF, asked as he joined Charles and the others.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Charles nodded, ducking away when Max reached out to mock ruffle his hair. 

Max and Charlotte’s girlfriend walked off, heading out to where the public were waiting for the show to start and leaving Charlotte and Charles in the wings. 

They were wearing each others designs, Charlotte wearing the dress that had ultimately led to the London College of Fashion accepting Charles to be one of their students, and Charles wearing a black with white piping suit that Charlotte had made for her final project. And as Charles stepped up to the entrance of the walk, Charlotte on his arm with her dress flapping at their ankles, he kissed her cheek and smiled. 

Six months of work leading up to this moment. 

Darren and Jean were the two lecturers who had interviewed Charles eighteen months prior and been part of his admission into LCF. They’d attended Charles’ Winter Showcase without him knowing they’d be there, and upon seeing another fashion line that Charles had put together, had asked him to create an item to put in their showcase at the end of the year for their undergrad student fashion show which would also showcase items of upcoming and potential students. 

Charles and Charlotte had been two of the students from across the country that had been selected, and now as they walked the catwalk together, Charles spinning Charlotte at the top of the walkway and letting her dress spin beautifully, he knew it had been the right thing to do. 

Charles had sunglasses over his eyes to fulfil the look that Charlotte had created for him, and it had been the butt of many jokes between them that Charles was going to end up looking like a strange version of Willy Wonka. And Charles had made enough jokes himself about it, feeling a bit daft but knowing the sunglasses were an integral part of The Look. 

Yet, he’d never anticipated them being so useful when he got halfway back up the walkway and saw what he did. 

Kimi was sat with Max and Dan, Dan holding Max’s hand and Kimi looking up proudly at Charles. 

Clearly none of them had seen who was loitering in the back. 

He doubted his Dad would look as calm as he did sat with Max if he knew just who else was here. 

“Are you okay?” Charlotte whispered as they got back into the wings, settling on some chairs as they waited to go back out later on in the show and noticing the way Charles was fidgeting nervously. 

“My Dad’s here,” Charles admitted, taking the sunglasses off and folding them over the collar of his shirt.

“Yeah I know, we spoke to him earlier.”

“No, no, not Kimi, Seb. Seb’s here, Charlotte.”

“He’s what…?”

“He was sat at the back. I didn’t even know he knew about this.”

“But Kimi’s got-”

“What do I do, Lottie?” Charles interrupted.

“You go out there, you smile, you show you’re a fucking boss, and then after if we need to, we run away and we go to McDonalds, and we sit with coffee and cry. How’s that?”

“Yeah,” Charles nodded, his voice shaky and his breathing wobbly, “What if they start arguing?”

“Max’ll probably cry so I think they’ll stop pretty quick,” Charlotte nudged Charles as she wrapped her arms around his waist, careful to not crease her dress or catch it on Charles’ suit. 

“What’s he doing here, Char? We’ve not seen him for fifteen months and suddenly he’s here. He should still be in New York and suddenly he’s not and he’s sat in the fucking audience smiling at me like he’s proud of me and I have no idea where the hell he’s come from.”

“I don’t know, babes, but he’s here, and I know you’re angry at him for leaving in the first place, but he’s here, and he’s supporting you, and you should just appreciate that. And if Kimi tells Seb to leave, that’s what you’re going to be dealing with instead, okay? But give him a chance, Charlie, hear him out.”

Meanwhile out on the front, Seb was close to tears with pride. 

That had been his baby up there, strutting his stuff with his best friend on his arm and the most stunning dress in existence modelled by her and made by his baby. 

“Seb?” Dan whispered, falling into the seat beside him and disrupting him from his awestruck expression. 

“Hey, Dan, how are things?”

“Good, Max is good, Charles is a nervous wreck but he pulled it off well, didn’t he?”

“I’m so proud of him, Dan, that dress was beautiful.”

“I’m really glad you were able to come and see it, Seb. I know I probably crossed a boundary with getting involved but it meant a lot knowing you were here for them. I adore your boys. And it’s been a while since I’ve seen them smile properly.”

“I’m glad you did, Dan,” Seb told him, pulling Dan into a hug and kissing his temple in the same way that he did one of his boys. “How’s Kimi?”

“He’s good, he was worried for Charles but obviously that went great so, he’s good.”

“And the whole ‘he might’ve bought a date with him’?” Seb tentatively asked, terrified of Dan’s response. If Dan told him that Kimi had bought a date with him, that would be it. This would be over. 

He’d have to accept that Kimi had moved on and that he was bringing people to his kids events because he’d found someone that could be a better parent than Seb possibly ever could. 

“Seb, no offence,” Dan sighed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head, “But you’re both kinda dumb. He… he tried, he did, but no one’s you. He wouldn’t bring anyone else. He only wants you to be with the boys.”

“Dan-”

“Jeez you’re just as dense as Max,” Dan sighed, grabbing Seb by the elbow and dragging him back to the front where he’d been sat with Max and Kimi and shoved him into the seat beside him. 

Max turned to Dan, his eyes automatically lighting up when he saw his boyfriend returning until he realised who was sat beside him.

“Oh my god, Dad?!”

Max shot up and Dan quickly swapped to sit in Max’s seat, letting Max fall into his seat as he wrapped himself up in Seb’s arms. 

“Hey, Maxy, how are you, kid?”

“Dad?!” Max repeated, crying as he smiled up at his Dad, his hands shaking as he wrapped his arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

“Yeah, baby, I’m here,” Seb murmured, burying his face in Max’s hair and kissing his hair, completely lost in the feeling of having his baby back in his arms. 

“Seb?” Kimi’s gruff voice cut through and Seb looked up with teary eyes to see his ex-husband staring at him. 

“Dan told me about Charles’ show, I couldn’t miss it.”

“You’re here.”

“I am,” Seb replied softly, smiling gently at Kimi. 

“It’s been a year…”

“I know.”

“You’re here,” Kimi replied, a small frown working its way between his eyebrows, “Why, Seb? Why are you here?”

“Because family, Kimi. Because my kids need me.”

 _“And for the final time this evening, our future students,”_ a voice came through over the sound system, interrupting any further conversation, and Seb looked away from Kimi with Max still in his arms, watching as Charles worked the runway. 

He looked amazing. 

But then again, he always did. 

He was Charles. 

He worked anything with no effort. 

Charles could’ve looked down at his family, Seb really had no idea, his soft green-blue eyes hidden by the dark circular frames covering his face, his hair combed neatly to the side and the beginnings of facial hair scratching at his cheeks and lip.

His baby was grown up now. 

And Seb was _so fucking proud_ of him. 

Before Charles was able to join them as he climbed off the stage, Seb saw an older individual approach him, handing him a business card as Charles pushed the glasses on top of his head, cradling the small piece of card and looking up at the man with pure wonder and awe in his eyes. 

The expression abruptly dropped when he turned and saw that Seb was sat with Kimi, Max and Daniel. 

“What are you doing here, Dad?” Charles asked as he stepped up to his family, not giving anyone got the chance to congratulate him for the show. Charlotte had gone off to find her girlfriend to stop any of the scouts getting at her, and without his best friend by his side, Charles looked nervous. 

“Daniel told me you had this show, and I wanted to come and support you, Charlie. I am so proud of you for doing this and your work is amazing, you’re so talented.”

“Yeah well, you’d have known that before now if you hadn’t _fucked off_ to New York and left us behind,” Charles’ voice cracked as he stared at Seb with a hurt expression. 

“I know, darling, I know. But I’m here now, and that’s better than nothing.”

“You should’ve been here when I got told that LCF wanted me to present. You should’ve been here when I was stressing over not having enough sheer pink fabric and having Dad run me around London trying to find more. You should’ve been here when I was crying at 3am because my hands hurt and my fingers were aching because I’d handsewn 337 pieces of diamanté onto the bodice and I still had more to do for the skirt. And you weren’t. Because you didn’t understand that we didn’t want you to go. Of course we were fucking proud of you, and we're always going to be proud of what you did. But you don’t need to go to New York forever to do that. You could’ve done it at home too but you didn’t because you were selfish and didn’t listen to what we was telling you!”

“Charles-”

“Let him say his piece, Kimi,” Seb interrupted, tears falling down Charles’ cheeks as he stared at Seb. 

“You should’ve been here, Dad. Why weren’t you?”

“Because I made a mistake.” Seb admitted, holding his hands up, “I made a mistake. And I don’t want that life anymore.”

Max went rigid under his arm and Charles’ expression became blank. He saw out of the corner of his eye how Dan reached out for Max, holding his hand and running his thumb over Max’s hand to comfort him. 

Kimi was just staring at them. 

Most people couldn’t tell Kimi’s stares apart.

But Seb could. 

They had been married twenty years. 

They had been together for twenty four years. 

Seb knew Kimi’s stares. 

And he hoped to _God_ that he wasn’t wrong about this one. 

He’d never been wrong before. 

“I’m moving home, Charles. Rerooting my office. I’ll be working in East London, still at UNICEF, but working closer to home. I took a new role so I could come home.”

“What if we don’t want you _home_ home?” Charles whispered.

“That’s okay. But I’ll feel better, happier, knowing that I’m back with you guys. That I’m at least around if you need me and not 3459 miles away.”

“You’re really coming home?” Max whimpered, looking at his Dad with wide eyes.

“I am, Maxy. I don’t start my new position for a few weeks, but I’m working on Child Protection, so bit less harrowing than what I was doing before, but I don’t care. It brings me home.”

“Where will you live?” Max asked.

“There’s a flat in Stratford, in East London. 4 beds, so you and your brothers can come and stay if you want. It’s not the most glamourous of places, but it’ll do. I can live there.”

“No you won’t Seb,” Kimi murmured, still frowning and looking down at the ground. 

“Kimi I need somewhere to live and I’m not going to live in a hotel. I need room for the boys.”

“They have rooms. At home.”

“What are you saying, Kimi?” Seb asked, looking at the man that had never finished filing for divorce from him. He’d sent the papers over more than 6 months ago, had waited to hear back from his own lawyer that the papers had gone through. Seb never questioned why they hadn’t, especially when his lawyer told him that Kimi and his lawyer had no objection to anything that Seb had signed. If he never questioned it, it wasn’t real, right?

It wasn’t until Seb looked down at what Kimi was fiddling with that he realised why he’d never been told that he was now a single man. 

A _divorced_ single man.

“Because you’re coming home, Seb. You’re coming back to us.”

“Kimi I can’t, I can’t do that to you,” Sebastian murmured. 

“Yes you can!” Max protested, looking between his parents, his boyfriend and Charles, “You can, Dad!”

“Come home, Dad,” Charles whispered, looking at him pleadingly, “It is what we want.”

“Just because you and Max want it doesn’t mean I should. I’ve got to do what’s right for the family,” Seb told them, dragging Charles into his arms and cuddling the twins tight. At eighteen, the twins now stood a couple of inches taller than Seb, but when he cradled his babies tight, it was like having those little five year olds back in his arms that barely reached his waist. 

“But what about what I want, Seb?” Kimi asked, “Do I not get an opinion?”

“We can’t just jump back into things the way they were. You moved on.”

“Did you?”

“I’ve loved you since the day I met you twenty five years ago, Kimi. I never stopped just because I moved to New York.”

“So what makes you think I have?” Kimi said, holding his hand up and properly showing Seb the gold band that still sat snuggly on his left ring finger. A ring that was dented and marked up with all manners of ink and stains and a scorch mark from when Kimi had got a bit trigger happy with a blowtorch once. But his ring, none the less. 

“Let’s start again,” Seb told him, releasing the boys and stepping forward to Kimi, “Let’s try again. Start from the beginning and fall in love all over again.”

“Are you serious about moving home?”

“I am, Kimi. In fact, I already did. I’m in a place in Westminster for the time being. All the things I needed to bring back are there, everything else got sold or is there for whoever moves in next to my old New York place.”

“Why now, Seb? Why over a _year_ after you left are you back?”

“Because my contract was up, and I’ve been waiting to come home since Christmas. I’m not happy there, Kimi. And I’m tired of pretending I am. I want to come home, back to Europe, back to London. I want my kids around and I want Britta annoying me to the end of the Earth.”

“And me?”

“If you’ll have me, I’ll marry you all over again. I never stopped loving you, Kimi. I’ve worn my wedding ring since the day I left. I made you a promise, to love you until the day I die, and I kept that promise.”

“You’re the worst, Vettel,” Kimi told him, stepping closer to Seb.

“I know,” Seb admitted.

“And I’m still so fucking in love with you too,” Kimi told him, barely giving Seb a second to realise it before he had his hands on Seb’s hips and he was pulling him in, kissing him like there was no air and Seb was his only life source. 

He could feel arms coming around them, pulling Seb and Kimi tighter into each other as they kissed for the first time in fifteen months. For the first time since Seb had made the worst decision. 

Well, that wasn’t necessarily true. 

It was what he needed. 

He needed to prove to himself that his job wasn’t everything. 

He so easily got stuck in it, lost in the loop of being _Sebastian Vettel, The Lawyer_ , that he’d lost who he was first. 

He was Sebastian Räikkönen-Vettel. A husband. A father to three amazing boys. Then he was a lawyer. 

And it was time to stop pretending that everything needed his job to survive. 

He didn’t.

He needs his kids, his family. 

And he needed the man in his arms who was kissing him and still smelt the exact same as he did on their first date in that coffee shop in the little corner of their university in the arts building with the barista who said Seb would marry him one day and the coffee that shocked his system into not letting him sleep for two days and a man who smelt of paint and coffee and something so uniquely him. 

“Can I come home?” Seb whispered, pulling away and resting his forehead against Kimi’s.

“Yes,” he murmured, diving back in and kissing Seb again. 

With their twins arms around them and Dan hugging the two men that were like fathers to him as well, this was it. 

This was home. 

And this was what Seb had aspired to get back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND YET NONE OF YOU TRUSTED ME THAT I WOULD GIVE THEM A HAPPY ENDING
> 
> lmao
> 
> but anyway, hope you enjoyed it
> 
> kudos, comments and feedback always greatly appreciated💙
> 
> Tumblr is at 3303andmore if you want to come and get adopted by myself (and @simplyverstappen/verstappened)


End file.
